Plot

In the foothills and forests of Jack Creek, Nevada, a local herd of mustangs resides. A massive wildfire the previous year has left the herd in small numbers. A few local ranches were evacuated and many of the horses that were set loose were, after the fire had burned through, forgotten. The land has begun to heal; lush grass is springing up from the newly richened soil and the burnt out forests are showing signs of revival.

The Jack Creek herd is returning to their homeland after having moved up north to avoid the majority of the devastation. In their absence, however, the abandoned horses have tentatively moved in and are trying to figure out how to cope in their new environment. Some may want to join a herd. Other's won't.

To make matters more complicated, the Judas band enters the scene. They are a group of bachelor stallions, though they are more organized than a regular band. They were forced west after another fire took over their home and are searching for a new place to lay claim to. Jack Creek, which is bouncing back well from the fire, has caught their eye.

Will the herd move away from their ancestral lands with foaling season nearing its climax, or will they make a push for the Judas band to leave? What will become of the abandoned horses? Only you can decide.

1. No Mary Sues or Gary Stews. Your horse(s) are not perfect and aren't all that and a bag of chips. No superpowers.

2. Limit five characters per player. This may change.

3. These are mainly mustangs. Abandoned horses may be purebreds, but remember they are ranch horses, not necessarily show horses. For instance, the likelihood of seeing a Przewalski on a ranch is slim.

4. This is a semi-literate to literate RP. A minimum of one good paragraph per response is required, though more is preferred.

5. Please be descriptive with your forms. It shows your literacy and makes it more fun for the rest of us.

6. If you use an image, make sure it is stock, not hotlinked, and allowed to be used. I can help find stock if you need.

7. Unless your character is a draft horse or another tall breed, the height limit is 17 hh. Mustangs are kind of short.

8. Only two major roles can be played by one person. Higher literacy is required for these roles.

9. Foals cannot be motherless. They may be adopted, but they need to have a caretaker. The herd will help, but at least one sole guardian is required.

10. Eve's RP rules apply. Need to find them? Ask me.

11. Please follow the form and have all the information put in. Put something random in the other category.

12. Have fun!!

Ranks : Jack Creek Herd

Lead Stallion : He is in charge of the safety of the herd. He protects them from bachelor stallions, predators, and all other potentially harmful situations that can be solved by brute strength. He is usually one of the oldest stallions and must have experience. He is the lead mare's only mating partner, though he can mate with other mares in the herd. The role of lead stallion is passed on through adult offspring or next of kin under normal circumstances; however, if no one is deemed fit to lead, the next most experienced stallion takes over. The current lead can also be challenged or retire, the latter case in which he will choose a successor.

Lead Mare : She is the brains behind the organization. She knows the territory best and counsels with the lead stallion to decide where to move and when. She works to keep the herd mares and stallions in check as well as watching over the foals and yearlings. If danger comes up, she will lead the herd away while the stallions stay back and fight off whatever the threat is. The lead mare sets the pace for travel.

Herd Stallions : These are stallions who have reached the age of three and have not been kicked out of the herd. Their job is to assist the lead stallion in keeping the herd safe. They are allowed to mate with herd mares.

Herd Mares and Deputy : The main body of the herd. They protect, raise, and nurture foals and yearlings. The deputy is the lead mare's chosen successor, should something befall her; she is one of the wiser, more experienced horses and is often quite close to the lead mare, either by blood or through friendship.

Yearlings : These are horses between the ages of one and three, both fillies and colts.

Foals : Horses under the age of one.

Ranks : Herdless

Bachelors : Stallions who have no herd. They can be survivors of abandoned ranches, born to another loner, or born in a herd.

Lone Mares : Mares who have either left their herd or never had one in the first place. They can be survivors of the abandoned ranches, born to another loner, or born in a herd.

Foals : Horses under the age of one.

Ranks : Judas Band

Lead Stallion : There is one lead stallion of this particular band. He is the oldest, most experienced, and probably the most desperate to pass on his genes. His word is law, though he doesn't necessarily reign out of fear. He leads a close-knit group who have little regard for other's rules.

Band Stallion : There are a handful of band stallions. They support their lead stallion and work together to lure away mares. They were fairly successful in their endeavors back in their native lands, but they have just arrived and have yet to set a reputation in Jack Creek.

Jack Creek runs through the upper east portion of Nevada. It is comprised of mountains, foothills, and valleys on both sides, though the further down the river one goes, the more mellow the topography becomes until it flushes out into a prairie. Further north is mainly coniferous forests and aspen groves, and near the river are more riparian environments.

The Jack Creek herd has historically moved down from the northern foothills to the borders of the prairie for foaling season. In summertime, they spend most of their days closer to the river in the mountains. Late summer and early fall brings them to the prairie, and then the cycle begins again.

The herd has reached the forest after having been pushed up further north. Lone horses are scattered across the territory, and the Judas band has claimed the eastern portions of the river near the prairie and the beginnings of the foothills.

1. Obey the instructions of the lead pair.

2. When travelling, herd stallions are in the front, then mares and foals, then leads.

3. Herd members cannot mate with loners or bachelors.

4. If any horse becomes aware of some danger, the leads should be alerted immediately.

5. If the lead stallion, lead mare, or both are unavailable or incapacitated, the heir and deputy will take their places, respectively.

Judas Band Rules

1. Obey the instructions of the lead stallion.

2. If a herd or lone mare is spotted drifting, she's fair game.

3. Should a herd be defeated by any stallion in the band, the lead stallion will immediately assume leadership of the new horses and divide the mares between the others. Foals will probably be killed.

*If your horse is a survivor of the abandoned ranches and it is relevant, put their breed here.

(Credits to me for both images)

9 || Stallion || Jack Creek Herd || Lead Stallion || Content

Coyote is an average height, a little over sixteen hands, but has a very muscular physique. He has a broad chest and sturdy legs, powerful shoulders and hindquarters, and a thick neck. His body is covered in small scars from his various encounters with both other stallions and non-equine predators.

He is a lighter palomino in color and has one sock on his front left hoof as well as a haphazard blaze stretching along his face. His coat darkens to a grayish brown past his knees and on his ears and muzzle. He also has a darker strip across his shoulders that merges with a faint dorsal stripe. Coyote's hooves are black save his front left, which is striped.

Coyote's large eyes are deep brown pools with amber flecks that glint more bronze in sunlight. They hold a sober, stoic expression in them while the rest of his face is normally smooth. There is a hint of creasing underneath and to the sides of them.

This stallion carries himself with power. While he is definitely not the tallest horse in the books, his muscular physique makes up for average height as far as intimidation is concerned. A deep, firm voice holds a no-nonsense tone and his words are straightforward.

Personality

Coyote got his name for his wily nature. He's smart, and he is not to be underestimated. His gears are always working, usually on more than one thought, and he never makes a decision lightly or without running it by at least one other horse. He lacks much of a sense of humor and could be described as "boring", "buzzkill", "grumpy old man", and "deadpan".

He takes safety seriously, and it is his top priority. Safety ensures greater chances of survival, and he does not want to put that in jeaopardy with silly games. Play is for the young; he has seen enough of life to have decided that he will protect their innocence at the price of his own.

Coyote's altruism is one of his key traits. While he does care for his own life, the lives of his herdmates are more important to him. For years, he has fended off bachelors with the drive to protect the foals. Cougars have been warded off for the sake of the sick or injured. Obnoxious and flirtatious three-year-olds have been kicked out... well, sometimes just because they're such obnoxious brats. Survival of the smartest.

Coyote can come across as strict and demanding and, in a way, he is. His favorite quote to tell younger horses who complain about the rules is, "Well, are you viewing them as a fence or a guard rail?"

He had an experience as a foal where one of the more "ditsy" horses jumped over a guard rail and into a steep ravine, where she had eventually died. Did he know why humans put guard rails everywhere? No, but he likes the analogy.

Kin

Áinle is his son and heir.

I'll add more as they come

Crush

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Mate

Lead Mare

Foals

Áinle, open

Other